Daycare Mommy asked:

I run a home daycare but I’m opening up a daycare center. Recently, I’ve been busy planning, organizing, decorating, hiring, etc. Please look over these daily plans for me.

Little Ones Cradle (6 weeks to crawling) and Inch Worms (crawling to walking) Schedule-
The infant schedule is very individualized. We work with parents to create a schedule for bottles, meals, play, and naps. Diapers are changed on a two-hour schedule unless warranted more frequently.

Mighty Munchkins (3 years to 4 years) Schedule
7:00-8:30: Children arrive, take off shoes, and hang up coats and bags. While we are waiting for others to arrive they can play in the centers.
8:30-9:00: Everyone goes to the circle for the morning meeting that inculdes:
- find my name
- pledge and patriotic song
- calender
- talk about “Yesterday was ___”, “Today is ___”, “Tomorrow will be ___”
- discuss special days (holidays, birthdays)
- season/weather chart
- show n’ tell
- school days link
- job chart
- introducing numbers, colors, and shapes
9:00-9:30: Children take part in an art project in the Little Picasso room
9:30-10:00: Children take part in playing instruments, singing, dancing, creative movement, clapping beats, patterns and more in the Motzarts In Training room.
10:00-10:30: All the children take a bathroom break. Then they enjoy a morning snack.
10:30-11:30: If it’s good weather we have free play outdoors. If not we take advantage of the Mighty Jungle, our indoor gym.
11:30-11:45: We have story time in the circle.
11:45-12:00: Everyone has another bathroom break, wash hands, and prepare for lunch.
12:00-12:30: Children eat lunch in the Hungry House. After lunch, the children who attend half day get dismissed.
12:30-2:30: Everyone naps in the Sleeping Beauties room. As they wake, they use the bathroom and get to play centers.
2:30-3:00: We have a group game once everyone is woken from their naps.
3:00:3:30: At this time we have some oragnized lesson in science, math, or language, usually relating to the season and what we have been talking about.
3:30-4:00: Children get to play in the centers. When it is over everything is put away properly.
4:00-5:30: If it’s good weather we have free play outdoors. If not we take advantage of the Mighty Jungle, our indoor gym. As parents arrive, the children gather their belongings and are dissmissed.

Busy Bee’s (4 years-5 years) Schedule
7:00-8:30: Children arrive, take off shoes, and hang up coats and bags. While we are waiting for others to arrive they can play in the centers.
8:00-9:00: Everyone goes to the circle for the morning meeting that inculdes:
- find my name
- pledge and patriotic song
- calender
- talk about “Yesterday was ___”, “Today is ___”, “Tomorrow will be ___”
- discuss special days (holidays, birthdays)
- season/weather chart
- show n’ tell
- school days link
- job chart
- introducing numbers, colors, and shapes
- sight words
9:00-9:30: Children take part in playing instruments, singing, dancing, creative movement, clapping beats, patterns and more in the Motzarts In Training room.
9:30-10:00: Children take part in an art project in the Little Picasso room
10:00-10:30: The children enjoy a morning snack. Then they take a bathroom break after.
10:30-11:30: If it’s good weather we have free play outdoors. If not we take advantage of the Mighty Jungle, our indoor gym.
11:30-12:00: At this time we have some oragnized lesson in science, math, or language, usually relating to the season and what we have been talking about.
12:00-12:30: Children eat lunch in the Hungry House. After lunch, the children who attend half day get dismissed.
12:30-2:30: Everyone naps in the Sleeping Beauties room. As they wake, they use the bathroom and get to play centers.
2:30-3:00: We have a group game once everyone is woken from their naps.
3:00:3:30: At this time, children are read a story. Then they discuss what happened, answer questions verbally, and connect to what they have read.
3:30-4:00: Children get to play in the centers. When it is over everything is put away properly.
4:00-5:30: If it’s good weather we have free play outdoors. If not we take advantage of the Mighty Jungle, our indoor gym. As parents arrive, the children gather their belongings and are dissmissed.

Tiny Footsteps (walking to 3 years) Schedule:
7:00-8:30: The children arrive and particapate in playtime.
8:30-9:30: They have morning circle to learn colors, shapes, numbers, letters, days of the week, and months of the year.
9:30-9:45: If it’s good weather we have free play outdoors. If not we take advantage of the Mighty Jungle, our indoor gym.
9:45-10:00: All children get snack and diaper change.
10:00-10:30: Children take part in playing instruments, singing, dancing, creative movement, clapping beats, patterns and more in the Motzarts In Training room.
10:30-11:00: Storytime, language, etc.
11:15-11:45: Children eat lunch in the Hungry House.
11:45-
No, this isn’t to the parents. It’s just a rough, quick thing to help give me a ballpark idea.
Each classroom has a bathroom with a regular toilet and small potty. Plus there are large bathrooms with 5 stalls each and half doors which are ideal for potty-training.
I realize the naps are a little lengthy. This is because I have some children who actually sleep this long, and have to allow them to get some rest. The children that wake up early or don’t sleep at all during this time (parents sometimes don’t want their older ones to have a nap because they don’t sleep at night) then they either have playtime, independent work, or even movie/TV time.

SQ+2 asked:

Who decorates for different Holidays? Easter is approaching, I just today bought new chair covers for my dining room chairs…
1-Pink
1-Green
1-White
1-Yellow
They are in a Tulip Pattern, and very Easter-y! I have found some outstanding tablecloths for almost every Holiday in the past few years, but only today expanded the decoration to the chairs, too.

I can’t be the only one…can I???

This has only started in the last few years due to the kids, and wanting them to enjoy the Holidays more. Do you do this, too?

Joan R – anti-bullying Lioness asked:

Without being continually harrassed and badgered about it for simply asking for *some* advice and support over issues which *may* seem “trivial” to some but are of worry to those of us who follow the news (which many parents these days cannot as they are too busy with their “careers”).
Examples : Teflon-coated clothing has *not* been proved to be safe – that is why the “cargo shorts” that my daughter-in-law bought for my eldest grandson last Summer for school were labelled “stain defence” *not* teflon (and they were not suitable for schoolwear anyhow).
Children *do* need an adequate amount of sleep for healthy growth and also a bedtime routine which ideally should not be changed for weekends or even holidays as patterns need to be set.
Children should not sleep in just underpants as it gets cold at night (even in Summer) and if they kick off the bedclothes they could get a chest infection – that is why pyjamas were invented!
I could go on but please could other Grandparents and decent parents too try to see things from a (loving)Grandparents point of view?
Given that I sucessfully raised four boys on my own don’t I at least deserve some respect from my daughter-in-law and other modern-day parents? -
The “Disneyworld Thing” is nothing to do with me – it is one of the childish,inconsiderate “clones” attacking me.
I have one indentity and one only and my joining date is 30 December 2007 not last night!
I also don’t see why an *eight*-year-old should have to do an hour or more homework *every* night and more at weekends too – teachers should be brought to book over that too as well as the parents who listen to their “advice”.
At eight year’s of age my boys were out playing in the fresh air not slaving over books – plenty of time for that later in life!

houseofcarpenter asked:

he goes to bed with no probs at all but if i let him stay up half an hour later we pay for it the next day as he still wakes at 5.30am. we have the summer holidays coming up and i would love to change this pattern, but how? My other children, 4 and almost 2, also go to bed at 7pm but they get up bewteen 6.30 and 7.30am which is acceptable. any sugestions?